Design

Extending your home by adding another room is a popular way of adding value, improving the quality of your life and allowing your property to grow with your needs. However, before you get going on an extension project, it’s important to consider three essential points. Points that you can find out more about in the post below.

Consider the disruption

First of all, extensions often take a lot of complicated building work to complete successfully, and this means it can cause some significant disruption in your life. In fact, if the water needs to be turned off, the sewage disposal is effected, or you don’t have access to your kitchen it can mean that you need to live elsewhere for a period.

Now, this is something that can not only disrupt your day to day life but also mean an added expense, especially if you can’t stay with relatives and have to pay out for a hotel. Therefore, it is essential to consider this before you go ahead with your extension plans.

Estimate the cost

Next, the cost is a significant factor whenever you have any building work done, and in many cases, there will be three tiers of finance to consider for extension work.

The first is that of design, as more complicated structures, renovations, and extensions will need a professional architect to design them before being granted planning permission.

The second is the materials that you will need to complete the work which can range from anything like bricks and cement to windows, frames, insulation, and event specialist tools such as cement mixers.

Last, of all, there will be the cost of the people that come in to do the work to consider. Of course, many folks try and reduce this by doing as much DIY as they can, although, you will need to remember that it will be tough to get a professional finish without employing someone who does this work day in and day out.

Luckily, to help you, here are some examples of house extension costs that you can review to get an idea of how to work out this figure accurately. Something that will help you not only checks that you have the funds available to go ahead with the work, but also can help you to keep as close to this budget while work is being carried out as well.

Check the building regulations

Last of all, is essential that you are aware of the building regulations in your area before you go ahead with planning or building an extension. The reason for this is because the regs differ from country to country and even in different regions within the same country!

What this means is that your extension could be at risk of being knocked down if you do not adhere to the codes correctly.

Luckily, you can find out some information on building codes in your area online, and the architect that is designing your extension should also be aware, and be able to educate you on these. Something that will ensure that your extension goes as smoothly as possible and you get to use enjoy your investment for many years to come.

When you’ve worked really hard to buy your own home, it’s always important that you’re able to keep it in a great condition. But that’s the thing about home ownership. While it’s an incredible privilege and you can feel so free owning your own house, it’s also a bit of a burden compared to renting. Why? Because when something goes wrong, or something isn’t right, you have to sort it yourself. There’s no landlord there to take care of it (or cover the cost)! But this isn’t always a bad thing. Not when it comes to the decor, at least. Because you’re always free to change things up as you please. So if you’ve recently been feeling like something isn’t right around the home, here’s what you need to do.

Change It

So first of all, you’ve always got the option of just making a change. This is something that can apply specifically to your decor. Suddenly hate the paint choice you made? Not too keen on the bed sheets you chose? Well then, you know what to do. While it can be frustrating to have made the wrong decision in the first place, you will learn in the process. But there’s no point leaving things as they are when you’re not happy. So just change it up and make it right.

Ask For Help

But not everything will be that easy. Sometimes, you won’t be able to make decor changes yourself. This can be the case when you’ve just moved into a place and you’re changing up what’s already there. So instead, why not find yourself a handyman that you can rely on regularly? It’s always a good idea to have someone reliable that you can turn to when you need work doing.

Fix It First

So now we’re going to cover off the idea of things going wrong with the more technical side of your home. Because when an appliances breaks or just doesn’t seem to be running properly, it can be stressful. But don’t let it get to you, just look for fisher and paykel spare parts for your refrigerator or whatever is causing your trouble. It’s better to fix it up first, before totally giving up.

Replace It

But if you find that this doesn’t work, then you’re just going to want to go out there and replace it. And it’s for this reason that you really need to make sure that you have a backup fund ready and waiting for when you need it.

Start From Scratch

And we’re going to finish off going back to the area of decor. Maybe it’s your first time decorating a space? When this is the case, you really need to make sure that you’re working to get it right. But don’t panic if your first attempt doesn’t seem to cut it. When you don’t get it right the first time, just try again. Come up with a new idea that you think will work out better instead. Or let it go, move on to another room, and then come back to it.

A glamorous home design can fill your space with subtle opulence, elegant organisation and tasteful glitz. It can be simple, balanced, layered and extravagant, enabling you to find design elements and tasteful decorations that will bring out the best in your home. From elegant colours and shiny details to layered materials and flattering glows, balance is the key factor that will elevate your home to a glamorous level.

Use wallpaper as a statement

Wallpaper has made a comeback to the design scene, bringing the most intricate patterns, textures and colours to modern homes. In glamorous spaces, it can be used for creating enticing décor statements, transforming both walls and ceilings into focal points. In particular, textured wallpaper design can create visual interest in a glamorous home, especially when set against a neutral backdrop. You can find wallpaper with metallic finishes, inspiring florals and geometric Art Deco motifs that will embellish your home and create a whimsical look.

Add a touch of gold

Introducing decorative details with a gold finish can create a truly glamorous ambience. Even just a few details can be enough for creating a dazzling effect in your home. Gold features such as extravagant lamps, mirror frames, decorative bowls and hardware can style up your space in a heartbeat, elevating a subtle design. You can also embellish your furniture with gold-painted fabric for an extravagant vibe.

Go with glossy finishes

Transforming your space into an opulent sanctuary can be quite simple and budget-friendly. If you want to add glitz and glamour to your space, you can replace your matte fixtures with glossy ones. It doesn’t have to be a gold finish – you can find a glossy paint and give your matte cabinets a chic makeover. Glossy cabinets will give your kitchen a luxurious look at an affordable price. You can use different metallic finishes, both warm and cool, for stylish accent details and decorative statements.

Use lighting for a wow effect

Whether you want to create an inviting, opulent atmosphere or a décor statement in the living room, lighting can be the perfect solution. For instance, Sydneysiders often use lighting fixtures to create a wow effect in their homes, focusing on unique styles and glamorous designs. Various popular lighting stores in Sydney offer even customised designs that can provide the interior with an authentic character, working as mesmerising focal points. Thus, you can also let a stunning pendant or a crystal chandelier take the centre stage in your living space, setting the mood and elevating your home décor.

Go for symmetry

Elegant, formal spaces are often characterised by symmetric and balanced designs that create an ambience of harmony in a home. Opting for a symmetric furniture arrangement or decorative embellishments can help you introduce such subtle elegance to your home, as well. From identical armchairs placed opposite one another to paired up bedside lamps, symmetry will help you give your home visually balanced appeal.

Decorate with ornate mirrors

From ornately designed to unusually shaped, mirrors can be another stunning accessory in a lavish home. Not only can they elevate your home décor with their stunning design, but they can also fill your space with more light, making it feel more open, airy and elegant. A detailed mirror above the fireplace can be used as a magnificent replacement for artwork while in the bedroom, it can be used as a mesmerising statement. You can use mirrors to introduce different finishes to your space, creating even surprisingly sophisticated combinations of silver and gold.

Go with a glamorous colour palette

While all colours can be given a glamorous flair, certain shades exude sophistication and elegance. For instance, rich velvet details in deep blues, reds, greens and purples can create a royal look in your home. Whites, greys and beiges can create an understated, yet opulent look, especially when complemented with sumptuous materials and metallic details. The forever-popular black-and-white combo is a timeless choice that can bring in a sense of monochromatic elegance to your home.
From glossy finishes, stunning accents and ornate designs to mesmerising statements, symmetric arrangements and sophisticated colours, different elements can help you glam up your home without creating an overbearing, kitschy look.

When you’re decorating your home, it’s safe to say that there’s always going to be a lot for you to think about. As much as you can be exciting about creating a stunning space, it really does take a lot of work. Not only is there a range of different things for you to think about, you have to ensure that everything all goes together. And that’s the hardest part. So, you have to break it all down. Focusing on your living room specifically, it’s often handy if you can think about the goal you have in mind. When you know exactly what it is that you’re trying to achieve, like a warm, cozy, and inviting space, creating that look can seem easier. So let’s get started.

Create A Gorgeous Base

You always need to start with the base. Don’t get ahead of yourself and start picking out furniture before the basic design is ready. Of course, you could work the room around the right furniture, but it’s often easier to create your design first, and then accessorize. So here, you want to make sure that you’re deciding on your paint colors or the wallpaper design, and picking out the flooring first. When you have this decided, you’ve essentially got a shell of a room complete that you can then start to build upon.

Work With Lighting

Your next step is to focus on the lighting in the space. You’ll always want your living space to be well-lit. Even if you want to create a cozy finish, you need to work with light to do this. Take a look at these tips on Decorated Life about working with natural light first. As this is often the best place to start. Then, when you’ve got as much natural light as possible, you should think about the lighting fixtures that you need to bring in to see the space off.

Add In A Fireplace

One of the most exciting parts about decorating the living space is picking out a fireplace. Whether you want a working fireplace or something modern, definitely have one. When you choose a stunning design from somewhere such as Real Flame, it really brings the room alive. Not only is it great for heat, but the flames can be incredibly relaxing – whether they’re real or fake.

Bring In Some Atmosphere

You’ve brought in the heat, and now it’s time to add some more atmosphere. Because you’ll always want the living area to look and feel incredible. Think about the heating system you’ll use to add to the fire, and work in a music system, and decorate with candles so you can add home scent into the space too.

Accessorize

Finally, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re accessorizing the space properly. Here, why not take home staging advice from the experts as Elle Decor suggests? Add in mirrors, and soft furnishings, and art to finish the space off perfectly and make sure that it really comes alive.

Taking on a large DIY job may be fun, but it isn’t something which a lot of people will want to dive right into. Choosing to take it slow, the way that people often handle this work is often in chunks, completing parts of rooms, slowly adding to them until they are done. To help you to take a slightly different route, this post will be exploring the benefits of starting fresh, along with some of the help you can get along the way.

New Inspiration:

Inspiration will always strike when you least expect it. It’s likely that you have a strong idea of what you’d like from your space, and will have a lot of the tools you need to achieve it. This won’t be possible if you already have the shell of a room to work with, though. Having their influence on one another, the styles will clash, and this will make improving the room into a real challenge.

Cleaner Results:

Along with enabling you to jump right into your ideas, this sort of approach will often give you cleaner results. Painting every wall, adding new flooring, and finding fresh furniture will give the whole place new life, and there won’t be any signs of the older styles left behind. When people decide to make small changes to their rooms, they will often find it hard to capture what they want.

Complete Change:

Changing a room completely will be a very satisfying job to get done. Changing it’s looks entirely, the feeling this gives will be similar to moving home, and this is something people tend to relish in. The whole process will be fun, exciting, and challenging, adding together to make for something which everyone can enjoy. Of course, though, you’ll still have to do all of the work.

An Easier Job:

While it may not seem so, having an empty room when you start a renovation will be much easier than having to battle furniture and other items as you do your work. You won’t have to worry about damaging precious items, and your workers will be able to wear their normal clothing without fear of getting it dirty. It will take some work to clear it out, but you can get some help with this part of the job.

Getting Help:

This is where the final part of this post comes in; support. Finding a leading removal company will make the process of emptying your rooms much easier, taking almost all of the work out of your hands. Along with this, a lot of people will find that having painters to do their walls and professional flooring experts for their floors can solve a lot of the issues you’ll face along the way.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to get started on your whole-room renovation. This sort of a project is great for most DIYers, as it will give you the chance to test all of the skills you’ve built over the years. Of course, though, it will be worth getting some help along the way.

If you’re a homeowner, or someone who simply lives in rented accommodation of your own, you should know how to handle your living space breaking down on you. And there’s one area more than any other that’s going to give you trouble the more and more you use it: the bathroom.

Feel free to call in all the help you need, as now’s the time to make sure your bathroom is working to the max, and making sure you come out every time feeling refreshed! Here’s a few tips for you to follow if you still haven’t got the first clue about DIY.

Is the Extractor Fan Working?

The bathroom fan is something you need to make sure is operating to the fullest at all times. Otherwise all sorts of smells, bacteria, and just lingering humidity is going to block up your bathroom, and you might just end up with a mold infestation. No one wants to see that when walking in to use the shower! Don’t worry, extractor fans can usually be easily fixed, and none of your guests will be any the wiser about the toilet trip you quickly had to take!

Extractor fans are sometimes rarely used in our houses and apartments, but they should always be a main focus. Above is a video of a common fan installed in our bathrooms being fixed up, so follow it and use the video suggestions to find more solutions. Simple as!

Are You Using Storage Properly?

Your bathroom is a place where you can shove all kinds of extraneous items, as there’s going to be cupboard and closets and towel rails all around the room. However, are you using the storage capacity in your bathroom to the max here? And is the space tidy enough to still resemble a functioning bathroom you’d love to recline and wash away the day’s stresses in? Maybe not…

You can buy yourself some under cupboard or under sink boxes to keep all of your washing items in, like your various shampoos and conditioners, to keep them all within easy reach. Or you could use this post as a sign to finally clear out your bathroom; it’s probably needed doing for a good few months now!

What About the Water Pressure?

Both in your shower and your toilet. Sometimes a flush doesn’t have the power behind it to take everything away, and sometimes the pressure in your shower just isn’t right for your muscles. Whatever it is that you’re struggling with in terms of water flow, make sure you contact some domestic plumbing services to fix the problem up all neat for you. You don’t want to accidentally break the entire flushing system in your bid to plunge more and more water into it!

When it comes to keeping your bathroom as functional as possible, hopefully these ideas could help you a little. After all, sometimes we just need a brainwave to finally sort out a problem we’re experiencing! Become the homeowner you love!

Do you ever feel like the upkeep of your home is a constant battle? Your home is supposed to be your castle. It’s not only intended to be a fortress that keeps the myriad troubles of the outside world at bay, it’s also supposed to be the one place in the world where you can completely relax, unwind and be yourself. In an era where we’re working harder than ever, working more hours than ever and finding that we have less time to look after the things in life that really matter, your home should be your best friend. Thus, if your relationship with your home is becoming increasingly adversarial, and you feel as though you’re falling out of love with it, something needs to change.

Most of us try pretty hard to ensure that our homes are clean, tidy, hygienic and well maintained. Yet, most of us are unaware of just how much of a toll it can take on our mental health if the one place in the world we’re supposed to feel at ease is just a little… off. Your surroundings have a profound effect on your wellbeing. Yet, despite all our best efforts, there are times when it feels as though nothing we do effects real change. If we share our home with kids and pets these feelings are only compounded.

It may be a tough pill for many to swallow, but even the staunchest clean freak or DIY enthusiast can’t tame their homes without professional help. Given our hectic and busy lifestyles we need to be realistic with ourselves and turn to the help of the professionals when we need it. Here are some areas in which even the best of us may need to outsource for optimum peace of mind and a home that’s perfect once more…

DIY Not?

There was a time when DIY was like a family recipe. It was a series of workable solutions (what we might now call life hacks) passed from generation to generation, designed to keep homes well maintained. In the YouTube era, however, there are so many excellent DIY tutorials that handy homeowners can often believe that there’s nothing they can’t accomplish with a well stocked tool belt, a stick of gum and a can-do attitude. While this may be true for many things, there are always areas of DIY best left to the pros. All but the most rudimentary of electrical fixes should not be attempted alone because of the safety risk they represent. They should be left to a registered electrician. If something is wrong with your circuit breaker panel in particular, you must never, ever attempt a repair yourself. Likewise, plumbing is best left to the pros. It might look like Lego with water, but it’s way more complicated than many give it credit for. Your amateur job may look fine at first glance but you could leave your home vulnerable to tiny and imperceptible leaks which could do real damage over time.

Clutter removal with care and compassion

Clutter is more than just general untidiness. If left unattended it can become a real problem and a sizeable drain on your personal well being. It’s human nature to accumulate possessions. To our subconscious, having more stuff increases our chances of survival. The reality, however, is that accumulating more and more stuff simply leads to a cluttered home. Not only is this visually distracting and prevents our homes from feeling truly clean and tidy, it can hinder our concentration. This can be particularly crippling if you work from home. It can create a nagging sense of unease that no amount of cleaning or tidying around it will heal. The trouble is that simply throwing stuff out, donating it to charity or selling it on eBay is beyond many of us. After a while, the removal of clutter can seem like a monolithic task especially if we are unable to part with any of it. If this seems familiar you need a clutter removal service with care and compassion, who will work with you to order and organise your possessions without tossing things out in the name of tough love. Now if only you knew where to find one of those…

Bad flow gotta go!

You’ve likely heard of Feng Shui although it’s likely that you take little stock in it. You may regard it as pseudoscience at best or mumbo jumbo at worst. But like acupuncture, tai chi and myriad other Chinese therapies which cause many unaware Westerners to scoff, Feng Shui really works. Enthusiasts say that this ancient art can increase your popularity, boost your wealth and help you to achieve your career goals by redistributing the flow of life energy (qi) through the home. At the very least it can optimize your available living space, give you a sense of calm and well being and make you feel happier than ever in your home. Sure, you could read up on the principles of Feng Shui and attempt to apply them yourself, but the most effective way to employ Feng Shui in your home is too book an appointment with a consultant.

Chim Chim Che-Ree!

If your home has a chimney, you’re extremely lucky. A fireplace with a chimney breast works wonders in tying a room together. It can make a great statement piece and can really help to define your living room’s aesthetic. But as much as this aesthetic touch is a gift for homeowners, it can also leave your family vulnerable to noxious fumes. Over time, sooty deposits can built up in the chimney flue. As these deposits grow more robust they can release a noxious combination of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water vapour into your living room. This flue gas may be imperceptible to most but it can still cause lasting damage to your health if left unchecked. That’s why every home with an active chimney should have a chimney sweep on speed dial to carry out regular inspections.

Your home is beautiful and ripe with potential. But it’s important to reach out for a helping hand every once in a while to make sure that potential is truly realised.

Let’s be totally honest, one of the biggest issues that a lot of us have these days is that we just have way too much stuff. Over the course of most of our lives, we have a habit of collecting a whole lot of stuff and most of it just ends up cluttering up our homes. Sure, there are plenty of things with lots of sentimental value that you want to keep, but a lot of it is just junk. When your home is full of junk in that way, it’s going to end up feeling cramped and untidy no matter what you do. Because of that, it’s a good idea to take the time to try and clear it out every once in a while. Of course, that’s not always easy. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do in order to start clearing out your home.

Find somewhere to put it

When the time comes to start getting rid of the junk in your home, one of the first things to think about is what you’re going to do with all of it. Depending on the kind of stuff it is, you’ve got a few choices. You can simply throw it away, and if you’re going to do that then there are plenty of places that offer bin hire which can make the process easier. Or perhaps you want to give it away to a good home. If that’s the case then there are plenty of places that take donations or you might even want to sell it on eBay to try and make a little money.

Be brutal

When you first start thinking about getting rid of stuff from your home, it’s tempting to assume that it’s all too precious and you couldn’t possibly get rid of it. However, the truth is that a lot of the stuff cluttering up many of our homes isn’t all that important. Sure, there will always be things that you’ll want to keep but there’s nothing wrong with getting rid of stuff that you neither use or need anymore.

Go room by room

The other major challenge involved in trying to clear out your home is knowing where to start. If you’ve let this kind of task build up over time then it can often be pretty overwhelming. The best way to deal with this is to just take things room by room and work from a plan. That way you’re not going to end up doing bits and pieces here and there and the entire task will go a lot faster.

Clearing the junk out of your home can be tough. After all, it can often feel like you’re not really sure what do keep and what to get rid of. However, if you keep putting it off then you’re just going to end up collecting more and more stuff that you don’t need and you’re going to make the whole situation much more difficult than it needs to be.

Whether you’ve bought your property or are renting, when you were choosing the place you live in now- chances are the garden was an important element of your decision. It’s so nice having outside space to get some fresh air, enjoy the nice weather and generally have another spot to relax in at home. For this reason it’s crazy that for a huge chunk of the year, our garden gets neglected. Just because it’s winter here in Australia doesn’t mean you should be hiding indoors- on a dry day it’s still nice sitting outside and enjoying the outside space at your home. Here are some of the ways you can spruce it up.

Plant Some Evergreens and Winter Flowering Plants

During the spring and summer, everything bursts into life. Flowers thrive, there’s greenery everywhere and it’s easy to maintain a lush and colourful looking yard. Over the winter it can be trickier, however it’s not impossible. Add some evergreens to your planting scheme in beds, borders and pots- that way everything doesn’t die off completely. There are a surprising number of winter blooming flower choices available. Plant these bulbs along with your usual choices, and then when they start to die off for the year your winter flowers will start growing and you’ll keep the garden looking lively. One of the reasons you probably neglect your outside space over the winter isn’t just because of the weather, but because it doesn’t look appealing. But a little planning and it’s not difficult to get it looking nice.

Cover Your Garden Furniture

Garden furniture is designed to be hardy, however it will certainly fade and wear quicker if it’s left exposed to the elements. Nice patio sets, outdoor corner sofas, parasols and barbeques all cost money, so you want to look after them so they can be used year after year. One of the best ways to do this is to purchase covers, of course you could put it all away in a shed, summer house or garage but this can make it difficult to get back out. If you have a mild and dry day where you want to sit outside with friends over the winter, none of your outdoor furniture is accessible. Covers will protect from wind, rain, ice and snow but they’re not too tedious or time consuming to remove if you do still want to use your garden over the colder months.

Install an Opening Roof

Opening roofs that sit above your patio are a fantastic choice for all seasons. When it’s sunny it provides shade, and when you get a bit of rain it provides protection. If you’re having a barbeque for example and get a few spots of rain, you don’t all have to rush indoors to stop your food from getting soggy! In the summer especially, chances are it will clear up in a few minutes anyway. Along with covering your furniture with removable covers, having something like this over the top can also provide an extra layer of protection against rain and storms. While something like a summer house provides shelter and shade you definitely get the feeling that you’re sat inside. With an opening roof you still get the benefit of being out in the garden but just with that added protection.

Invest in a Patio Heater

A patio heater is actually useful all year round. Even during the spring and summer, it can get a little chilly outdoors later in the evening. If you like to sit outdoors later in the day, or you’ve had a garden party that’s stretched on to the late hours, you can pop on the heater to keep everyone comfortable. Of course, a patio heater is useful when you want to enjoy the garden in the evening. As long as it’s not raining you can sit outside and make the most of your outdoor space, even without the sun shining. They can be fitted right underneath your garden parasol, they can be freestanding or even mounted to the wall. There are lots of discreet models so it doesn’t have to be an eyesore in your garden. If you love reading a book in the garden at the weekend or having a glass of wine outdoors after work on occasion, this allows you to do so all year round.

Use a Greenhouse to Protect Your Plants

Lots of plants will come back year after year, which will save you money as you’re not having to constantly buy new foliage for your garden. However if you have a particularly nasty winter, they can die off completely- things like excessive frost or flooding can do this. It’s also more common in plants that aren’t fully established, so if you’ve bought or grown from seed some nice semi- hardy plants in recent years and want to protect them, a greenhouse is a good investment. It doesn’t have to be an enormous model, you can get small lean-to’s that will house a few plants. During the spring, summer and autumn you can use this to grow all kinds of things and extend the growing season. Then in the winter it can be use as protection against frost. If you plan on doing this, keep your plants in pots ensuring they’re large enough for roots to develop and the plant to grow. After a year or two of protecting it in the winter, plant it into the ground where it should be able to survive on its own.

When it’s thick with snow, pelting with hail or tipping it down with rain, you can’t really enjoy the garden and there’s not much anyone can do about that. However there are plenty of dry and mild winter days in most parts of Australia so why not make the most of your garden when you can. How about a winter barbeque featuring seasonal produce, go with something a little different from your usual summer cookout?

After the blistering heat of the previous months, while the northern hemisphere enjoys the start of summer, Aussies are beginning to retreat indoors as the days get a little milder and greyer. For many of us, this doesn’t mean that our social lives are curtailed, it merely means brunch indoors rather than barbecues outside. This means that many of us will start to think about sprucing up our interiors as we prepare ourselves to bring our social lives indoors. But while a great deal has been written on the subject of interior design, let’s not forget that what’s outside matters too. If you’re likely to be planning for some renovations in the coming colder months or even just a lick of paint here and there, it’s worth considering addressing the external as much as the internal. Here we’ll look at the importance of a design aesthetic that unifies both the interior and exterior as well as looking at some of the hottest exterior design trends of this year…

What is exterior design and why does it matter?

Your interior design is an opportunity to not only create a space that is beautiful and pleasurable to live in, it’s also your opportunity to allow guests an insight into your personal tastes, your creative leanings, your sense style and your personality. Everything from the colour you use on your statement walls to the books you have on display on your bookshelf makes a statement and tells visitors a little about who you are. Your home should tell a story, and your entryway is the first chapter… But the exterior is the prologue. Many are quick to underestimate just how much of a first impression their exteriors can make. Yet if your exterior is looking lackluster, faded, dilapidated, worn or simply bland, the rest of your home is going to have to work that little bit harder to undo that first impression. And remember that you never get a second chance to make one of those. If you will be putting your home on the market in the near future, sprucing up your exterior can add immeasurably to your kerb appeal. Get it right and it can make your neighbours green with envy while engendering a sense of excitement and anticipation in guests about to step over the threshold and into your home. Fortunately, your exterior design needn’t be extremely expensive nor logistically difficult to master. Whether you’re installing new designer garage doors or simply applying a lick of paint and adding some potted plants you can give your exterior a facelift, even on a modest budget. Let’s look at some of the hottest exterior design trends of this year…

Keep it neutral, keep it natural

In today’s fast paced and often stressful world, the home should be a sanctuary from the stress and anxiety of work and modern living. This means that we should use as many natural materials as possible in both our exterior and interior design. Natural materials have a soothing effect on the mind and are proven to promote psychological well being. Thus, there are lots of creative ways in which you can use natural stone in your exterior design or timber with a light and natural finish rather than a thick veneer of paint. Needless to say, your use of plants (even if you don’t have a front garden) can make all the difference too. A large potted plant on either side of your front door can be extremely welcoming in even the most modest of front yards. Here are some useful tips on matching your outdoor plants to the materials you use in your exterior.

As tempting as it may be to paint your front door and other elements of your exterior in a gaudy and attention grabbing colour, this year’s design trends favour a more neutral approach. While beighes, greys and off whites are on the way out indoors, this year’s outdoor trends favour mixed materials within a limited colour palette i.e. mid grey bricks with dark grey roofing.

A taste for texture

There’s far more to creating an engaging exterior than colour. Texture is playing an increasingly large role in creating design aesthetics that make for eye catching exteriors. Don’t be afraid to play with texture this year, especially when it comes to juxtaposing different textures; rough with smooth, matte with gloss and patterned with plain. Think steel matte on your guttering or roofing juxtaposed with coarse textured or self patterned brick. This contrasting of textures and finished creates a sense of intrigue which will make your guests all the more eager to see what’s in store for them inside.

Red brick is back

We’ve been using it to build houses since the days of ancient Rome and there’s still no better choice for creating an aesthetic which is natural, warming and welcoming. Using this classic building material in elegant and contemporary ways is another method of creating an intriguing sense of juxtaposition whether it’s used for an exterior wall or alongside other curated materials. Pairing red brick with a neutrally painted concrete, for example to create a contrast of tone, colour and texture that is appealing and intriguing yet subtle.

Say something with siding

While all these juxtaposed materials, colours and textures are currently en vogue, there will always be those who prefer the elegant simplicity of home siding. There are many reasons why this approach appeals to so many. It creates a neat and welcoming look that’s virtually zero maintenance, and the sheer variation of colour, texture, materials and finish ensures that wherever your tastes may lie, you can find a variant to suit you. However the aesthetic benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. The right siding can also seriously improve your home’s energy efficiency. Good quality siding will seal in the heat during the coming colder months while also allowing your home to stay cool when it’s hot.

So, as your social schedule moves indoors over the coming months, make sure that you capitalise on every opportunity to wow your guests, even before they’ve stepped through the front door.